Clay Matvick (PxP) and Lance Cormier (analyst) will have the call on the SEC Network for Thursday's series opener and Saturday's finale while Andy Brock (PxP) and VFL Cody Hawn (analyst) will broadcast Friday's contest on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
Fans can also listen to John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara call the action all series long on the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990) and its participating affiliates throughout the state.
A free audio stream will also be available on
UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App.
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
GAME 1: LHP
Chris Stamos (2 GS, 3-0, 3.38 ERA)
GAME 2: RHP
Drew Beam (10 GS, 5-1, 3.40 ERA)
GAME 3: TBD
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Tigers lead, 17-13
in Knoxville: Tigers lead, 8-7
in Columbia: Tigers lead, 9-6
at Neutral Sites: N/A
Last 10 Meetings: Vols lead, 6-4
Last Meeting: L, 7-1 – March 19, 2023 in Columbia, Mo.
Tennessee will be looking to exact a little bit of revenge after being swept to begin SEC play last season at Missouri. The Vols had won six straight against the Tigers prior to last year's trip to CoMo after posting back-to-back series sweeps in 2021 and 2022.
NOTABLE
Home Sweet Home Field Advantage
The Big Orange have been extremely tough to beat at home over the past three-plus years thanks in large part to having one of the best home field advantages in college baseball. The Vols are 141-23 when playing at Lindsey Nelson Stadium since the start of the 2020 season, including a 27-2 mark this year after going 33-5 at home in 2023 with six series sweeps, marking the program's third consecutive season with 30 or more home victories.
UT's 27 home victories this season are tied for the most in the country while their .931 winning percentage at home ranks ninth nationally.
CMo Making Case for SEC Player of the Year
Christian Moore is having an SEC Player of the Year caliber season and proved yet again why he is one of the most complete hitters in all of college baseball with some massive performances in last weekend's top-five series win at No. 3 Kentucky.
The New York native had at least one hit and one RBI in each of the three games and was nearly impossible to get out in UT's back-to-back wins on Saturday and Sunday, combining to go 8-for-11 with five runs scored, four home runs and eight RBIs in those two contests. Moore tied his career high with four base hits in each of those games and set or tied career bests with four runs, three homers and six RBIs in Sunday's rubber game. His three long balls tied the single-game program record and also moved him into first place on Tennessee's career home runs list with 46, passing current teammate
Blake Burke (44).
The junior infielder leads the team with a career-high 19 home runs entering this weekend and is second on the team with 45 RBIs. Moore has been especially productive in league play, leading the SEC in hits (33), home runs (13), RBIs (28) and total bases (78) while also ranking among the league leaders in batting average (.407), slugging percentage (.963) and runs (22). Moore was named the SEC Player of the Week for the second time in the last three weeks on Monday and was also tabbed the National Player of the Week by D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game.
SEC Success Under Vitello
During the five-plus seasons in which Tennessee has played SEC games under head coach
Tony Vitello, the Vols are 99-69 in league play. In the six full seasons prior to Vitello taking over (2012-17), UT was 81-120 in SEC play. Tennessee is 73-35 in SEC regular-season play since 2021, which is the best record in the league in that span, half a game better than Arkansas (72-36). Including postseason games, the Vols are 81-38 against SEC foes since 2021.
The Vols have posted 14 series sweeps in conference play under Vitello: 2024 (1), 2023 (3), 2022 (6), 2021 (2), 2019 (1), 2018 (1). In the six year's prior to Vitello taking over, (2012-17) UT swept just two SEC series.
OPPONENT SCOUT
Missouri Tigers (22-12, 3-9 SEC)
- Head Coach: Kerrick Jackson (1st season)
- 2023 Postseason: N/A
- Rankings: D1Baseball – NR | USA Today – NR | Baseball America – NR | NCBWA – NR | Perfect Game – NR
- 2024 SEC Preseason Poll: 7th in Eastern Division
- Preseason All-Conference Selections (0)
- Stat Leaders:
- Batting Avg: Jackson Lovich (.282)
- Runs: Trevor Austin (40)
- Hits: Trevor Austin (42)
- Home Runs: Trevor Austin (9)
- RBI: Trevor Austin (27)
- Stolen Bases: Jeric Curtis (14)
- Wins: Lucas / Rustad (4)
- Saves: Jacob Peaden (3)
- ERA (min. 15 IP): Brock Lucas (2.73)
- WHIP (min. 15 IP): Ryan Magdic (1.00)
- Innings Pitched: Carter Rustad (46.0)
- Strikeouts: Bryce Mayer (45)
- Opp. Avg (min. 15 IP): Brock Lucas (.200)
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
THURSDAY:
- Ceremonial First Pitch: Tennessee Football WR Bru McCoy
SATURDAY:
- Class of 2024 Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized in a pregame ceremony on the field.
ON DECK
Tennessee welcomes in-state foe Lipscomb to Knoxville for a midweek clash on Tuesday, April 30 before heading to Gainesville to take on Florida next Thursday through Saturday.